Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

5 reviews

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass.”

“We are never so poor that we cannot bless another human being, are we? So it is that every evil, whether moral or material, results in good. You'll see.”

This was a very intense read. Definitely check trigger warnings for this book. It started a little slow for me but really picked up as it went. Generally, I like to listen to general fiction because I find it doesn't hold my attention the way romance, fantasy or thrillers. That's how I started this novel but found it fairly easy to finish it physically. My main complaint is that I didn't like that there weren't any quotation marks. I get that it's a literature choice but I don't really get it. Other than that, there wasn't a whole lot that I didn't like about this book. My favorite aspect was probably the perspective. It was so effective to make the main character's perspective that of a 13-year-old boy. It took all of the serious, intense themes and filtered them through the semi-innocent eyes of a pubescent boy. It genuinely made so much of the story more impactful. I also really appreciated the commentary on how Native Americans straddle the line between tribal soveriegnty and American jurisdiction, especially when it comes to things like rape cases or crime perpretrated by white people on reservations. It was also really interesting to read a depiction of reservation life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Car accident, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Rape, Mental illness, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Murder

internationalreads's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Alcohol, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Classism, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Gun violence, and Racism

suzanlemont's review

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was an incredibly well-written book with so many well-structured elements: suspense/mystery, family relationships, adolescence/coming of age, Native American culture. The ending would normally leave me upset but the author has the wise foresight to weave in some threads earlier on that let you know that the end of the book is not all there is, and this saved it from becoming one of those stories I hate that leave you dangling and dissatisfied. The casually descriptive language adds texture and wit to an-already compelling story and an air of authenticity that I could feel in my bones. This is neither a romanticized nor grungy/bigoted view of life on a Native American reservation - the characters are fresh and honest, the emotions are real without being overwhelming or just for shock effect. Very well done; i was riveted. There are even a few chuckles.  Now I wan to go back and read Erdrich's Love Medicine which I read a very long time ago because I think she's brilliant.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Vomit

None of the triggers were very overwhelming/are all thoughtfully handled.

brennach's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Car accident, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Medical content, and Vomit

battybookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a book assigned for my American Lit class. It is probably my second favorite that we read this term. The first half is hard to read, it opens with an assault, so if that's triggering for you this is probably not a great book to read. Following Joe, the son of the woman assaulted, through these life events is something really powerful and there's so much to this book that I could never properly summarize. It has reinvigorated my wish to read everything of Erdrich's cause I get to the end of her novels and am instantly wondering why there aren't a hundred more pages to get through: I just can't get enough of her words and her characters! There's so much to feel and so many people to love in this novel!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit